FASTRACK Features

One-third of a facility's energy bill can be directly attributed to the boiler room. Replacing an older boiler system is one way to achieve energy savings. Retrofitting is another. If retrofitting is the course of action, then it is important to identify the areas most likely to yield efficiency gains. The first area to consider is the combustion-controls system. New developments in boiler controls are creating opportunities for substantial efficiency gains. This article discusses options to help an existing boiler system produce measurable efficiency increases and fuel-cost decreases.

FASTRACK News

Despite widespread concern about the global economy, HVACR manufacturers appear optimistic heading into 2012. According to a recent survey of more than 1,000 International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition (AHR Expo) exhibitors from around the world, 59 percent expect a "better year" in 2012, while 13 percent expect a "much better year." Twenty-four percent expect sales to be the "same," while only 4 percent expect a "worse year."

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A variety of educational sessions, workshops, and certification programs designed to help HVACR professionals perform their jobs more effectively will be offered during the 2012 International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition (AHR Expo), to be held Jan. 23-25 at McCormick Place in Chicago.

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Rick Fedrizzi to Discuss the Role of People in Green Building at the 2012 Carrier Global Engineering Conference Rick Fedrizzi, president and CEO of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), has been named a keynote speaker for the 2012 Carrier Global Engineering Conference – March 18-20 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. His address will focus on sustainability and the essential role people play in implementing sustainable building design using advanced technologies. Fedrizzi will emphasize how that role affects the way we build and train for the future. Click here for more.

2012 AHR Expo Product Review

Cooling-tower fan The Whisper Quiet Fan for Baltimore Aircoil's PT2 cooling tower provides 12- to 15-dBA sound reduction, has Cooling Technology Institute-certified thermal capacity, and is compliant with ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1. The chemical-resistant, durable, high-solidity, single-piece, molded fan made out of fiberglass reinforced polyester. It is fully factory-installed and aligned, and requires no field installation.—Baltimore Aircoil Company

Insulation encapsulant RE-500 is a high-performance, antimicrobial, robotically applied insulation encapsulant. The low-volatile-organic-compound coating is ideal for projects such as hospitals and schools, where disruption of the building's occupants cannot be tolerated. Its semigloss finish provides a surface that prevents debris accumulation that could lead to mold growth.—Carlisle HVAC

Pump-system-configuration software PUMP-FLO Insight configuration software is designed to automate the quote-to-production process. The scalable, Web-based, and secure cloud-computing technology allows integration with computer-aided-design, enterprise-resource-planning, and other systems, as well as with PUMP-FLO electronic catalogs. Additional functionality includes quote and proposal generation; bill-of-materials, pricing, costing, and discounting modules; and the ability to generate manufacturing routing reports.—Engineered Software Inc.

Capacitance transmitter The CS01 RF capacitance transmitter offers a compact and affordable option for a wide variety of level-sensing applications. With 4–20 MA and 0–5 VDC selectable outputs, the solid-state sensor provides accurate, proportional level measurement in many extreme process temperatures and fluid conditions. It features a simple, fully programmable, four-button calibration to set for whatever media it is measuring.—Innovative Solutions

Variable-refrigerant-flow system The Multi V III variable-refrigerant-flow (VRF) commercial air-conditioning system for large-scale facilities such as commercial office buildings, hotels, hospitals, and schools offers Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute-certified ratings, fast-response cooling, and a space-saving footprint. The VRF technology improves energy efficiency by allowing occupants to choose whether to air-condition or heat only the zones in use. The units feature an inverter scroll that offers a more compact size for the same capacity output with greater reliability in cold climates compared with previous Multi V systems.—LG Electronics

Fluid-sensing and power supplies A full line of fluid-sensing and power products from Standex Electronics includes inductors, current sensors, and power transformers. These components allow system designers to incorporate upstream and downstream components to streamline production and assembly, saving labor and component costs. The products are manufactured in ISO-registered facilities close to the worldwide usage point, thus simplifying logistics and reducing shipping costs. Standex also offers in-house molding, rapid prototyping, and the ability to wind and assemble all core transformer types.—Standex Electronics

BAS and embedded technology products NiagaraAX Release 3.6 is one of several building-automation, energy-management, and embedded-technology-for-device-to enterprise-integration products being presented at the AHR Expo. NiagaraAX Release 3.6, the latest release of the NiagaraAX Framework, includes many recently added features and enhancements, including support for batteryless options and 802.11 WiFi, heightened security features, and a number of usability enhancements. Also being displayed are the Metering Gateway, Sedona Framework TXS 1.1, and Niagara Security 2.2.—Tridium

Drive for fans and pumps The Z1000 variable-speed drive is designed for building-automation applications such as fans, pumps, and cooling towers through 500 hp. It features an easy-to-read LCD keypad that provides hand/off/auto interface and a real-time clock.—Yaskawa

Fiber-free duct liner AP Coilflex duct liner is fiber-free and manufactured without chlorofluorocarbons, hydrofluorocarbons or hydrochlorofluorocarbons. It is designed for air-handling systems, variable-air-volume units, ducts, and other air-system components that require condensation control and resistance to moisture, damage, or heat gain. It reduces noise generated by fans and air movement.—Armacell

Wide duct wrap WideWrap is a fiberglass duct-wrap product with 5 ft width designed to work perfectly with 5-ft duct sections and eliminate the need for additional fabrications. The foil scrim kraft (FSK)-faced flexible fiberglass blanket insulation is used to insulate the exterior of rectangular and round ductwork to provide enhanced thermal efficiency and reduce unwanted heat loss or gain.—CertainTeed

Large-diameter fans Low-speed fans in 6-ft to 24-ft diameters generate year-round, energy-efficient air circulation. The Isis fan is designed and engineered to dramatically improve air circulation in large areas, including industrial, agricultural, and commercial spaces.—Big Ass Fans

Customizable IAQ monitor The IAQPoint2 is a touchscreen, customizable, indoor-air-quality monitor that can control carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds, temperature, and humidity. The unit boosts energy efficiency, fresh-air comfort, and the alertness and performance of building occupants through on-demand ventilation activation, with relays triggering fans via multianalog options or a building automation system.—Honeywell Analytics

VFD shaft-voltage test kit The AEGIS Shaft Voltage Test Kit is designed to make measuring and documenting variable-frequency-drive- (VFD-) induced voltages easy. Motors controlled by VFDs are vulnerable to electrical bearing damage. Although specifiers may choose motors that are equipped with shaft-grounding rings, the shaft-voltage test kit may be used in retrofit applications while there is still time to head off damage and downtime. The kit includes a specially tipped probe and a portable oscilloscope.—Electro Static Technology

Centrifugal fans RadiCal centrifugal fans feature impellers of size 133 to 250 that are manufactured in one piece, allowing them to attain a high rotational speed. The styling of the impeller has been optimized to provide low-loss flow of air through the impeller without drastic cross-sectional changes.—ebm-papst

Variable heat pump with auxiliary gas heat The Rebel packaged rooftop system combines variable-heat-pump technology with auxiliary gas heat and a variable-inverter scroll compressor, while functioning as a variable-air-volume heat-pump unit down to 3 tons. The electronically commutated motors used on the fans allow for variable-speed operation. The units are available in 3- to 15-ton sizes, offer a modulating hot-gas-reheat option, and operate efficiently in colder weather. As a dedicated-outdoor-air system, the units provide energy-efficient makeup air for 100 percent outdoor-air applications.—Daikin McQuay

Engineered piping products Revit building information modeling files are now available for virtually all engineered piping products, including seismic joints, expansion joints, valves, compensators, strainers, pipe guides, air vents, and more. The features and information about the products that are embedded in the files help engineers ensure the right products will be specified and installed in an engineered piping system.—Metraflex

Flow meter The F-3500 insertion electromagnetic flow meter is engineered to excel in demanding water-flow-measurement applications. With no moving parts, the meter is reliable even in challenging open-loop systems. The hand-insertable hot-tap design provides quick, easy installation. Every meter is individually wet-calibrated to NIST-traceable standards and accurate to within 1 percent of rate.—Onicon Inc.

Fully configurable gateway QuickServer is a fully configurable gateway that can utilize any serial and/or ethernet protocol found in the extensive FieldServer driver library. In addition, the FS-B35 Series interoperability solution for building-automation-system integrators has been upgraded to include a new processing system and multiple ports.—FieldServer Technologies

Constant-flow venturi valve Available in aluminum or stainless steel, the VV Series venturi valve is ideal for controlling airflow for supply, return, or exhaust ducts based on the cubic-feet-per-minute flow set by the actuator. The pressure-independent valve maintains a constant airflow at a specific actuator position over a range of 0.6 in. to 3 in. WC. Diameters range from 6 in. to 4 in., and both the aluminum and stainless-steel valves can be specified with Heresite coating and/or sound insulation.—Triatek

Building-information-modeling All of Taco's commercial products—more than 900 individual products encompassing 24 product groups—are now available in Revit building-information-modeling file formats. In addition, the company has selected Catalog Data Solutions' BIM Content Management Solution, including its multiformat computer-aided-design modeling engine, which provides a complementary functionality to its use of CADworks' BIMXchange, a powerful search and configuration tool inside Revit that provides clients with direct access to content in their design.—Taco

Chilled beams In-floor active chilled beams combine the benefits of underfloor air distribution (UFAD) with water-heating and cooling efficiencies. The beams bring chilled water under the floor to cool air at a building's perimeter, where heat loss and heat gain can significantly impact energy use. These units simplify UFAD design by reducing the amount of equipment under the floor and improve perimeter-zone aesthetics by replacing diffusers with a linear grille.—Tate

Self-cleaning water filters Self-cleaning water filters provide the solution to dirty water in cooling towers, heat exchangers, condensers, and pipes. The filters operate on line pressure alone. The self-cleaning process is triggered by a pressure differential and is accomplished in seconds without interrupting the main flow. The filters are compact and designed to meet a variety of industrial applications.—Tekleen

Piping groove system The Advanced Groove System is the only two-piece coupling on the market available in diameters up to 60 in. The system offers fast and simple installation over couplings featuring multisegment housings. Pipe joined by the groove system handles high- end loads, and has a pressure rating of up to 350 psi with a nominal three-to-one safety factor.—Victaulic

Smoke detector with integral ethernet port The new FAAST fire-alarm aspiration-sensing technology Model 8100 detector features an onboard ethernet port that eliminates the need to create a separate data network to identify the location of an initiating device. The detector's integral TCP/IP connectivity allows up to six individuals to receive e-mail notifications that discreetly identify the initiating device and the location and details of the event. Events such as initiation of one of five alarm levels or 10 discreet fault conditions can be communicated. The integral interface enables facility managers to monitor the detector from any Internet browser, smartphone, or mobile device with VPN capability.—System Sensor

Heat-pump controller The ORB heat-pump controller is a fully integrated equipment-intelligence system offering complete operating, monitoring, control, and diagnostic capabilities. It performs the functionality of a total system-management and reporting platform that provides real-time data trending and analysis, whether onsite or via e-mail or Website information transfer. The ORB provides real-time calculation of killowatt-hour consumption, coefficient of performance, energy-efficiency ratio, and carbon-dioxide emissions. The ORB is built into Geofinity's line of high-efficiency geothermal and water-source-heat-pump systems. Geofinity offers a commercial water-source line ranging from ¾ ton to 20 tons. The product line is available in a range of voltages, phases (1 or 3), and in 50 or 60 Hz.—Geofinity

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Free Revit files for Metraflex engineered piping products Metraflex now offers Revit files for virtually all of its engineered piping products, including seismic joints, expansion joints, valves, compensators, strainers, pipe guides, air vents and more. With features and important information embedded in the files, Metraflex Revit files help engineers ensure the right products will be specified and installed in the engineered piping system. For your free files go to Metraflex.com/revit.

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The magazine for the mechanical-systems-engineering community, HPAC Engineering is a forum for peer-to-peer communication among engineering professionals and facility owners/operators in the non-residential-building marketplace, including the critical manufacturing-, government-, education-, health-care-, and office-building sectors.

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